


Summer Dream

by kimbora



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-10-15 19:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17534726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimbora/pseuds/kimbora
Summary: Ever since she was little, Yoohyeon has spent her summers lazing away at the country club pool. Funny enough, despite spending so much time there, she never learned to swim. This summer there’s a hot new lifeguard in town who Yoohyeon is helplessly crushing on. When Yoohyeon’s genius of a best friend flings her in the pool in order to try and catch her crush’s attention, another girl ends up saving her from drowning and stealing her heart in the process…





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> -air horn noises- IT’S 2YOO TIME!!!! I honestly keep getting ideas about different ships I wanna write so there will be SO many fics in my future. I hope I can write something for every ship eventually. <3 Anyways, I’m so soft for tol Yoo n smol Yoo. Yoobin is an angel who takes care of giant nerd Yoohyeon so that is what made me think of them for this fic. I would like to thank Elris for the title which is named for one of their many catchy tunes. Bonus points if anyone can guess who the unnamed hot lifeguard is before I identify her next chapter! ;) Until next time! -cries because it’s so cold where I live and I’m writing about a summer romance-

Summer is Yoohyeon’s favorite time of year. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and it brings joy into her otherwise boring life. Ever since she was a child, she has found her happy place sitting poolside at the country club with a good book or video game as her companion. Sometimes she brings friends, but many times she kicks it solo. Regardless of who is with her, she stakes out the same spot any day that the weather permits and spends it lazing away in bliss. Her parents have offered glamorous trips ranging from Rome to Rio de Janeiro, but Yoohyeon can’t imagine herself spending her summers anywhere else.

Despite never learning to swim, Yoohyeon enjoys the pool more than any place else in the world. There is something about the sounds of laughter mingled with splashes and squirts of sunblock that make it even more magical. Yoohyeon is especially transfixed by the way the water shimmers in the summer sun, looking like a sea of crystal. She knows that every club member, including her parents, pays copious amounts of money to ensure the water’s cleanliness using harsh chemicals, but she likes to pretend it’s the result of sorcery. When it comes to the country club pool, nothing can ruin how special it is to her.  
~  
Today marked the first day of yet another summer. Yoohyeon could hardly contain her excitement as she woke to her internal alarm instead of the shrill ringtone her phone blared on school days. She sprang out of bed and raced to grab a piece of fruit from the kitchen. She preferred to eat light on summer mornings, so as not to get too sleepy at the pool. She pumped her fist when she saw the lunch her mom had packed for her to bring as a poolside picnic. That was another awesome part of her summers-not having to eat the shitty cafeteria food.

Blasting her favorite summer playlist on her stereo, Yoohyeon got ready for her day of relaxation. She threw on her favorite bikini, tossed an oversize t-shirt over it as a cover-up, and kicked on her new sandals. Once she was dressed, she tied her hair into a braid and threw on her sunglasses and favorite hat. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. It was a relief not to wear makeup like she did to school every day. Her skin was already thanking her for letting it breathe. She wasn’t sure it would be quite as thankful when she doused it in lotion and exposed it to the harsh UV rays of the sun, but it should have been used to that by now.

Yoohyeon hummed to herself as she finished packing her things. Her cute new tote bag was filled to the brim with her phone, her wallet, a towel, a new book, and her lunch along with some snacks to sustain her through the hot day. Yoohyeon swung her bag from side to side as she skipped outside to mount her bike and ride it to the club. She had almost gotten one foot on the pedal when her phone pinged with a text notification. She fished it out and took a look to see who was bugging her. It was Gahyeon, one of the members of the Three Amigos as well as her unofficial child.

‘Hey, Yoo! Get it? Hehehehehe. Hope you’re enjoying your summer so far! Wanna hang today? I’m sooooo bored!!’ the text read.

Yoohyeon could practically hear the other girl’s loud whining from across town. Still, she supposed kicking off the summer with her best friends by her side wouldn’t be so bad. She quickly typed a response.

‘Heading to the pool all day. You’re welcome to tag along. Meet you there if you’re interested. Text SingSing that she’s welcome to join!’

Gahyeon immediately replied with a thumbs-up. Yoohyeon put her phone away and took off on her bike, eager to see her friends in her favorite place. She had gotten the ride to the country club down to a science, and could estimate her arrival down to the minute. She arrived exactly when she expected, and locked her bike in its usual spot on the rack. Once that was settled, she pranced over to the check-in location and fished her membership card out of her wallet. Even touching her card was a formality, since just about every employee at the desk recognized her by now. Occasionally there was a new face who’d ask to see her ID, but usually they just waved her in. Today Woohee was working, so she knew she’d be fine.

“Morning, kiddo! It’s good to see you. Are the other members of your trio gonna make an appearance today?” the older woman asked good naturedly.

Yoohyeon nodded, “They should be here soon. When they get here, can you tell them I’ll be waiting at the usual spot?” she instructed.

Woohee nodded and gave her a mock salute. Yoohyeon smiled and thanked her before making her way inside.

She was pleased to see her favorite chair was open. She staked out her usual spot and set her things on the chairs on either side of it for Siyeon and Gahyeon. Yoohyeon was excited to reunite with her closest (and only) friends. The three of them attended different schools which made it harder to hang out. Summertime was their chance to reconnect and relive the glory days of their childhood. Yoohyeon couldn’t imagine a summer without Gahyeon dribbling ice cream down her chin or Siyeon ambushing her with a water gun. As annoying as they could be at times, they were her summer sisters.

Yoohyeon had pulled out her book and had finished exactly one page before two voices loudly shouted her name. When her eyes met theirs, Gahyeon and Siyeon took off running towards her like a pair of chipmunks on speed. Practically everyone at the pool was staring at them and Yoohyeon blushed at the unwanted attention. She grunted as the two girls attacked her in a bear hug, simultaneously raving about how much they’d missed her.

Siyeon yanked off the baseball cap she was wearing and shook out her brown hair which glistened with a slight sheen of perspiration. She wore a baggy t-shirt and cargo shorts with sandals that looked like something a dad would wear to a barbeque. Yoohyeon wasn’t surprised to see that her dear friend was still a walking fashion disaster. Not that she was one to talk. Gahyeon always complained that Yoohyeon got blessed with the looks of a supermodel, but wasted it with her lousy fashion sense. Beside her, Gahyeon was much cuter in a flowery coverup with a matching sunhat and sandals. She completed her look with a pair of stylish sunglasses. Yoohyeon smiled at her friends and let them get situated in the spots she’d saved for them.

“Thanks for inviting us! What a way to ring in the season,” Siyeon sighed contentedly as she reclined into a comfortable position.

“You guys know you’re always welcome. Mi country club es su country club,” Yoohyeon assured them both with a grin.

Gahyeon rubbed her hands together, “So, what snacks did mom pack for us today?” she inquired.

Yoohyeon rummaged through her tote and handed the goods to her younger friend. She was about to list the items her mother had packed when she felt the air get physically knocked out of her. She choked on air and was unable to finish her sentence. Gahyeon, wondering what had caused her taller companion to malfunction, turned to see what was wrong with her. She noticed Yoohyeon gaping at something across the way from her. When the younger girl looked to where her friend was looking, she realized it was not something, but rather, someone.

Yoohyeon had never seen this girl before. She had been coming to the club for years, and knew every employee by name. As far as she knew, there was no employee named Physically Perfect Goddess Angel Woman. That was the only way she could describe the person sitting in the lifeguard’s chair at this moment in time. Even though she was sitting, Yoohyeon could tell she was tall. She might even have been as tall as Yoohyeon herself, a remarkable accomplishment. The goddess in question had silky, bronzed skin that glowed as brightly as the sun looming above them. Her long, dark hair hung down to her perfect chest and looked like it could be the hair of a princess. Even in the hideous one piece suits that were the uniform of the club’s lifeguards, this girl looked like sex on legs. Yoohyeon was reduced to a spluttering mess even looking at this ethereal being.

“Yoo, are you good? You sound like my car when I forget to gas up before going on a roadie,” Siyeon called over.

“I think she’s gay panicking. It looks like there’s a new lifeguard in town,” Gahyeon informed her on Yoohyeon’s behalf.

Siyeon looked up to see what Gahyeon was talking about and let out a low whistle.

“Damn, that girl is mad attractive. Yoohyeon, you need to get those digits! It’s about time we got you a girlfriend. You’re the least experienced in our little crew,” Siyeon pointed out.  
Yoohyeon finally remembered how to breathe and was able to speak again. She turned to frown at her friend’s commentary.

“Just because you felt one girl’s boob at a house party doesn’t make you a connoisseur of the art of lesbianism. Gahyeon’s the only one of us who has ever had a girlfriend. Besides, you clearly aren’t wearing strong enough sunglasses because you are blind if you think that I am even in the vicinity of that woman’s league,” she fired back.

“Gahyeon has actually had three girlfriends, but who’s counting? Anyways, you’re being way too harsh on yourself, Yoo. That girl is mad hot but so are you! Come on, ditch the coverup. Give her a little show,” Gahyeon cheered her on.

“You’re like twelve! How have you had that many girlfriends already? Also, you are way too young to be telling me to take my clothes off,” Yoohyeon stammered, blushing and throwing her arms over herself defensively.

“Come on, take it off!” Siyeon demanded, trying to wrangle Yoohyeon’s shirt off of her.

Yoohyeon shrieked and tried to fend off her overly enthusiastic friend while Gahyeon laughed at their idiocy. They almost knocked over several chairs and umbrellas in their struggle, which prompted several nearby guests to glare and scoff at them. Yoohyeon was eventually defeated, and knocked to the ground with Siyeon straddling her. The older girl cheered, holding Yoohyeon’s clothes in her hand like a trophy. 

Yoohyeon, despite being at the pool so often, rarely stripped down to her swimsuit. She felt naked. To make matters worse, she and Siyeon had caused such a ruckus that hot lifeguard girl had turned her attention to them to see what was the matter. The two made eye contact and she must have been hallucinating from the impact of hitting the ground, because it appeared that lifeguard girl smiled and winked at her. Yoohyeon wanted the pool to swallow her up in that moment. As it was, she was already knee-deep in the stages of a crush. It was only day one, yet this summer was already shaping up to be a doozy.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! I’m here with the next chapter in our exciting installment. Still no Yoobs yet, but she will make an appearance next chapter. I come bearing Jiyoo crumbs for any fans of that pairing. I hope people are enjoying the fic! I’m certainly enjoying writing it. Anyways, get pumped for Dreamcatcher’s upcoming comeback!!! Piri is gonna be...pirifect? How do people write good puns? Whatever, peace out and happy reading!

A few weeks had passed since Yoohyeon laid eyes on the woman of her dreams at the club’s pool. Yoohyeon stuck to her summer tradition and was pleased to note that the steamy lifeguard was on duty every single day she had been there. Despite this exciting information, any interaction between the two was minimal at best. Her biggest accomplishment had been getting a smile and nod of acknowledgement from the hottie-on-duty which caused her to panic and spill her sunblock all over herself and the chairs next to her. Thankfully her crush had looked away by then, or at least had the decency to pretend not to have seen it.

Gahyeon and Siyeon hadn’t accompanied her to the pool since the first day of summer. The two had each been busy with their own shenanigans. Gahyeon was tutoring people in math to make some extra money while Siyeon was taking private vocal lessons this summer. She missed having her best friends by her side, but was grateful they weren’t able to embarrass her any more than she already had. She was perfectly capable of making a fool of herself even when flying solo.

By some miracle, Yoohyeon had learned her crush’s name even though the two had yet to have any form of conversation. She had the girl who worked at the smoothie stand next to the pool to thank for that. Despite being tiny in size, her voice had a way of reverberating off of every square inch of the space. Apparently smoothie girl was friends with the hot lifeguard and thus referred to her by her name, as most people do when interacting with those they know. Thanks to their friendship, Yoohyeon had learned that the beautiful specimen working the lifeguard station was named Minji. Yoohyeon had never heard a more beautiful name in her life. It rolled off her tongue when she whispered it to herself upon learning the identity of her poolside goddess.

Much to Yoohyeon’s surprise, her phone pinged with a text notification. She pulled it from her bag to see that it was from her group chat with Gahyeon and Siyeon. It was Siyeon who had messaged her.

‘So, has our tol gay made a move on the walking Abercrombie commercial yet?’

Gahyeon quickly chimed in.

‘Come on, Yoo! Make like Beyonce and ride that surfboard!’

Yoohyeon’s face turned crimson at her friend’s bold encouragement. She frantically typed a reply.

‘Gahyeon, go to church or kindergarten or something. You both are nuts. Pls just let me relax by the pool in peace!!!!’

Yoohyeon crossed her arms and set her phone down. She groaned when the texts continued.

‘Gahyeon, our friend is clearly useless. Looks like it’s time for us to get involved!’ Siyeon decided.

‘You’re right, let’s do this. We’re coming with you to the pool tomorrow, Yoo. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!’ Gahyeon agreed.

Yoohyeon sighed. She knew it would be useless to protest their actions. Her best friends were already each a force to be reckoned with on their own, but when they combined forces, resistance was futile. She would just have to accept her humiliating fate with whatever harebrained scheme they had in store. She just hoped it wouldn’t get her banned from the pool or even worse, unable to return due to sheer embarrassment. She glanced back over at the apple of her eye, who was taking her break. Her breath hitched at Minji’s beauty, captivated by the woman’s perfection. She wondered what Siyeon and Gahyeon could possibly do to ever make her worthy of this goddess’s attention.  
~  
Minji’s break time had finally arrived which meant it was time to pay a visit to Bora at the smoothie stand. She was always happy to spend her time chitchatting with her good friend about juicy gossip they had overheard or funny anecdotes that came up during their day. Once she had made sure that the other lifeguard was set to hold down the fort while she was gone, Minji hopped off her chair and zipped the matching hoodie that went over her uniform. Her long, tanned legs glistened with freshly applied sunblock as she strutted towards her friend. Her ponytail swung back and forth along with her hips as she walked. Bora saw her coming and started whistling the Baywatch theme song. Minji burst into laughter at her friend’s antics and took a seat at the bar. Bora had her drink order memorized by now, so she didn’t even have to say anything before her friend was concocting her favorite smoothie. Minji made herself comfortable while her friend finished whipping up her order. Once the drink was placed in front of her, Bora made her way over to the seat beside her. They were both officially on break.

“I think just about every housewife who belongs to this club has asked if I can put vodka in any of the drinks. What is with rich people and day drinking? With how much tanning these people do they should really be asking me for a lifetime supply of water. Some of those women look more like their leather handbags than human beings,” Bora muttered, careful not to be overheard.

Minji almost snorted her smoothie out of her nose. A lot of the women at the club spent copious amounts of time in the sun or on the tanning bed. Some even resorted to ridiculous fake tanners that made them look like giant Cheetos. The two girls had admittedly enjoyed many laughs at these people’s expense. They had to be careful not to amuse themselves too noticeably, lest they get fired. The club paid well and both of them needed the money. Still, some of these people were intolerable, so they deserved at least a little making fun of.

“Thank god you aren’t allowed to serve alcohol. My job is already stressful enough babysitting these people’s children and telling them for the five hundredth time to wait their turn on the water slide. Did I tell you some kid tried to bribe me to cut the others? Do they skip the lessons on manners in those fancy boarding schools their parents pay ridiculous amounts of money to send them to?” Minji grumbled, also careful to keep her voice down.

Bora giggled, grabbing a piece of fruit from her stash and biting into it. The juice began to dribble down her chin and she grabbed a napkin to quickly wipe it off. She had to be careful not to stain the hideous t-shirt that was her uniform at the smoothie stand. Bora bitched about it endlessly when it was first presented to her, but had since found a loophole in the employee dress code that allowed her to tie it up in the back and show off her midriff. Both Minji and Bora had become disliked by many of the wives at the club for gaining unwanted attention from their husbands. Neither girl had any interest in these men, particularly because they were men, but their affections did lead to generous tips for doing even the bare minimum.

“So, any crusty old guys hit on you today? That one ancient dude whose wife always wears ridiculous giant hats told me I was ‘fantastic at my job.’ I think he meant I’m great at turning my back to make his drinks so he can look at my ass. Oh well, he threw double the cost of the drink in my tip jar so I can’t complain,” Bora changed the subject.

Minji grinned, “I’ve actually had it pretty easy today. Not too many people have been visiting the pool. I think they’re all at that indoor aerobics class the club is offering. That one girl I told you about is here again though,” she added as an afterthought, turning to look at the person she was talking about.

“Ah, the beanpole? I’m surprised you haven’t hit her up. She sounds like your type: endless legs, cute face, possibly weird,” Bora stated, joining her friend in looking at the girl in question.

Minji scoffed, “This is my job, Bora! I can’t just hit on club members. Besides, I have no way of knowing if she’s single, or if she even likes girls. I just enjoy watching her when I’m on the clock. She seems different than most of the stuffy people who belong to this place,” she explained.

“Yeah, she sounds different alright. Remember when you smiled at her and she launched sunscreen all over the place? If you ask me, the poor thing has a big crush on you and is a big, awkward mess because of it,” Bora snickered.

Minji smacked her shorter friend on the arm, earning a loud shriek. Bora rubbed the spot where she’d been hit and frowned.

“Be nice! She’s probably just not used to people. She spends an awful lot of time alone here, maybe she’s just shy. I’ve only even seen her wear a bathing suit once, which by the way, was an amazing sight. Anyways, even at this pool full of people in swimsuits, she hides behind layers of clothes. That is clearly somebody who is trying to be invisible. That’s why she has become one of my favorite people to watch when I’m at the pool. I’m curious about her,” the lifeguard insisted.

Bora quirked an eyebrow, “Wow, that psychology degree you’re pursuing has really impacted the way you think,” she muttered before glancing at the clock, “Shit, break time’s almost up. Good talk today. Have fun on the rest of your shift, Miss Freud,” she teased.

Minji rolled her eyes at her best friend’s joke and bid her adieu. She finished her smoothie and discarded it in the trash before heading back to her station. On her way back, she passed by the girl her and Bora had been talking about. Per usual, she was engrossed in whatever activity she had brought for the day. Today it was a puzzle book. Despite the broiling summer heat, she still remained in the layers over her bathing suit. She looked up from her book and caught Minji looking at her, which prompted her to nervously look back down and drop her book in the process. While she scrambled to pick it up and ripped several pages in the process, Minji smiled to herself and kept walking. This girl was the only thing keeping her summer interesting.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howdy friends! Thank you for all of the kudos and comments on this thang so far. It makes me so happy to see that people are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. :D I have been trying to follow a weekly update schedule, but this week I was extra productive and finished THREE chapters! I am gonna go ahead and post all three since I'm sick of proofreading them so this puppy is already about to be halfway finished as of today. :O Anywaysies, who's ready for Piri next week? The teasers and everything are incredible and the song sounds amazing. Please give Dreamcatcher (especially Siyeon) lots of love! <3

True to their word, and much to Yoohyeon’s horror, Gahyeon and Siyeon accompanied her to the country club the very next day. Both of them had gone to the trouble of getting their prior commitments rescheduled and/or cancelled so that they could help their friend work up the courage to approach her crush. They came to Yoohyeon’s house bright and early that morning to pick out her clothes for her. Despite her protests, they had convinced her to wear what they deemed her hottest bathing suit with a sheer coverup that left little to the imagination. Yoohyeon felt like she might as well have shown up to the pool in her birthday suit. She imagined she had hit rock bottom as she desperately tried to cover herself while her best friends dragged her along like a giant pet on a leash.

“Ah, what a lovely day for a dip in the pool!” Siyeon declared, loudly announcing their presence as the trio took their usual spot.

Many club patrons gave her a dirty look for her obstinance. Gahyeon snickered while Yoohyeon put her face in her hands. What had she done to be punished this way?

Yoohyeon’s inner lamentations were interrupted by Gahyeon’s elbow digging into her ribcage. She yelped at the sudden jab and turned to glare at the shorter girl. Gahyeon was gesturing at Minji who was looking at the two of them. The lifeguard had removed her sunglasses and was staring intently at something in their general vicinity. Yoohyeon glanced around to see what her crush could possibly be looking at.

“She’s checking you out, dummy! Go talk to her!” Gahyeon hissed, exasperated at her friend’s cluelessness.

“N-No way! She’s probably checking to make sure the chairs are all clean. I think that’s in her job description. I’m not going up there and making a fool of myself,” Yoohyeon protested, flabbergasted at the very notion that Minji would have any reason to look at her.

Gahyeon looked like she was ready to throttle Yoohyeon for her stupidity. She turned to Siyeon for help. The older girl shook her head and smirked.

“Our Yoohyeonie is so shy. What you need is a ruse. That way if you chat her up and she’s not interested, even though she obviously is, you can just use that excuse and get out scotch-free,” Siyeon suggested.

Gahyeon nodded, “Yeah, exactly! Go ask her a question pertaining to the club or the pool. That’s a good way to lead into a conversation and possibly more,” she agreed.

Yoohyeon frowned, “My parents have belonged to this club since before I was born. What question could I possibly ask her that I don’t already know the answer to?” she pointed out.

Gahyeon slapped a palm to her forehead.

“We may all know that, but does Minji? You said so yourself that you’ve never seen her working here before and you know every employee. You can ask her whatever you want!” the younger girl exclaimed in frustration.

Yoohyeon cowered at the smaller girl’s fury. Siyeon, seeing that those two weren’t getting anywhere, decided to take matters into her own hands. She grabbed onto Yoohyeon’s arm and gestured for the taller girl to follow her. Yoohyeon looked apprehensive, but did as she was told. The two headed towards the pool where they could get a closer look at the lifeguard station. Siyeon turned to her friend and put her hands on her shoulders.

“Listen, kid, you want your crush to notice you, right?” she demanded.

Yoohyeon shrugged. Siyeon glared at her. Yoohyeon changed her response to a head nod. Siyeon gave an expression of approval.

“Very good. So you want her to notice you, but you’re too shy to actually approach her, right?” Siyeon asked next.

Yoohyeon nodded fervently. Siyeon also nodded, the gears in her head turning.

“That’s right, you’re in a real pickle here. It looks like you need a way to catch her attention without having to initiate a conversation. Good news, kid, I’ve got a plan. Just trust your pal Siyeon, okay?” the older girl prefaced before yanking her friend’s arm and flinging her into the pool.

Yoohyeon lost all notion of time and space as she felt herself flying through the air. In this suspended reality, she had time to admire the beautiful water she had always watched from afar. It was drawing closer to her, ready to engulf her in its sparkling majesty. Yoohyeon didn’t know how to swim, but she wasn’t afraid to die. She held her breath and braced herself for her fate as she plunged into the bottomless abyss.

Gahyeon raced up to Siyeon after the deed had been done. Her face was white as a sheet and she wore an expression of horror.

“What have you done? Yoohyeon never learned how to swim, remember? You just threw our best friend to her death, you monster!” the younger girl cried, grabbing Siyeon by the shoulders and shaking her back and forth.

Siyeon stared at Gahyeon, observing the tears in the younger girl’s eyes. It took a moment for her to register everything she had said. Siyeon’s color drained. She glanced helplessly at the lifeguard station.

“Her crush will save her. That’s her job, right?” Siyeon tried to reason, her voice shaking.

“The lifeguard just went on break! Were you paying any attention at all before you flung our best friend into a death trap?” Gahyeon screamed, gesturing to the empty chair which usually housed Yoohyeon’s crush.

“Jesus, don’t they have a backup lifeguard on duty? Where are those ‘Swim at your own risk’ signs? Oh my god, I just killed our best friend!” Siyeon despaired, pulling at her hair.

The two girls began to panic, running back and forth and screaming for help. All the while, Yoohyeon was motionless in the deep end of the pool.  
~  
Over by the smoothie bar, Minji was having her usual breaktime chat with Bora. Her back was to the pool, and she was relieved to have a short reprieve from her job. Right now it was swim at your own risk, and she figured those rich assholes could survive on their own for a few minutes. 

Across from her, Bora was staring at something with a concerned expression. She frowned, took a sip of her smoothie, and turned around to see what had gotten her friend’s attention. She recognized the two girls she always saw with her favorite club member. Right now they were running back and forth like chickens with their heads cut off. That girl sure had some weird friends.

“What do you suppose is up with those two? I wonder why the club cutie isn’t with them,” Minji muttered.

Bora gasped and pointed to something in the pool.

“Oh my god, I think someone’s drowning!” she screamed.

Minji cursed and jumped into action. She threw off her sweatshirt and ran towards the pool as fast as her legs would take her. The smoothie bar wasn’t that far from the pool, but precious seconds were ticking away and someone’s life was in her hands. Minji was poised to dive and rescue whoever had fallen in, but someone beat her to it.

Minji recognized the girl who had come forward to rescue the drowning individual. She was a club member who always came with a really pretty friend of hers. Minji often heard the two speaking a foreign language together. She had no idea what this girl’s name was, but she found her deep voice and short haircut extremely attractive. Everyone watched the unexpected hero leap in and swim towards the unconscious form in the water. The next several seconds were full of tension as everyone waited to see what would happen.

Minji clutched her chest and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the deep voiced girl emerge from the water with the cute beanpole in her arms. Thankfully they both appeared to be safe, although the taller girl was unconscious. Minji headed over to perform CPR, but once again was beaten to the punch. She watched the other girl handle the situation, wondering if she even needed to intervene. This girl clearly knew what she was doing. Minji figured the only thing she could do now was call the proper authorities to let them know what happened. She dialed the emergency number and silently prayed that she hadn’t just lost her job.  
~  
Yoohyeon opened her eyes to find a stranger hovering over her. She was too weak to get much of a glimpse at her, but she could hear her voice loud and clear. It was smooth and husky, sending a tingle down the girl’s spine. She blinked, trying to register what was happening. Had she finally died? Was this an angel with a hot voice welcoming her to heaven? Or, given her last semester at school, maybe it was a hot demon beckoning her into hell. Yoohyeon tried to speak to this person, but her lungs were on fire. She coughed violently, letting out a stream of water as she did so. Ah, so she wasn’t dead. Yoohyeon wheezed, filling her lungs with desperately needed air. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, despite having just been dunked underwater.

The mysterious stranger’s face lit up.

“Looks like my work here is done. She’s conscious and able to breathe on her own again,” she informed the people around her before directing her attention to Yoohyeon, “Hi there, my name’s Yoobin. Can you tell me your name?” she asked her gently.

Yoohyeon’s vision was sharpening and she began to take in her savior’s features. She had a round face with adorable cheeks that were just begging to be squished. Her eyes were warm and wise, making Yoohyeon feel completely at ease. Despite her intelligence and authority in handling the situation, she appeared to be right around Yoohyeon’s age. Yoohyeon felt her heart constricting, for reasons other than her near-death experience.

“Uh, Yoohyeon my name is!” she frantically replied.

Yoobin frowned.

“She may have sustained a head injury from falling into the pool. The lifeguard said the paramedics should be here any second. We’ll let them check it out,” she observed, putting her hands on Yoohyeon’s head and scrutinizing it.

“I’m just glad she’s alive! Thank you so much for saving her. Yoo, it’s me, Gahyeon! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Gahyeon chimed in, crouching down to Yoohyeon’s level to give her a hug.

Siyeon nearly bowled the two of them over as she joined the group hug. She was sobbing, clinging to them as if her life depended on it.

“I’m so so so so so so so sorry! I’m an idiot, a fool, a complete imbecile! I almost killed my sweet, sweet best friend. Can you ever forgive me?” she wailed.

Yoohyeon winced at the intense physical contact. She patted her friends reassuringly, but silently wished for them to go away and stop embarrassing her in front of the cute girl who had just saved her life. Then again, she’d already made her think she had a concussion when she was just a big, gay fool.

“It’s okay, guys, I’m fine. No harm done. Now please let go of me before you actually do kill me,” she croaked.

The two of them did as instructed. Yoobin laughed at the trio, clearly amused by their actions. Her giggle was the cutest thing Yoohyeon had ever heard. She felt her cheeks go red, causing Yoobin to grow concerned once again since she thought it was due to a respiratory problem.

Yoohyeon was relieved when the ambulance came to take her to the hospital. As they carried her off, Yoobin caught her eye and smiled at her. The paramedics gasped and Gahyeon screamed bloody murder when Yoohyeon passed out in the stretcher. Who knew one woman could have such an impact?


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter, as promised! I wasn't gonna give Minji as much of a role in this at first but when I was writing this chapter I felt like it was missing something so now she gets a little angst and we can all feel bad for her together :')

This time, when Yoohyeon woke up, she found herself in a hospital room. Gahyeon and Siyeon were sitting on either side of her bed. Their faces lit up when they saw that she was okay. Yoohyeon glanced around, wondering if her lifesaver was anywhere to be seen. She had said her name was Yoobin, a lovely name for an angel walking among mere mortals. Gahyeon noticed her confusion and spoke gently.

“Hey there, welcome back to the world of the living. Do you remember what happened?” she inquired, gently squeezing Yoohyeon’s hand.

Yoohyeon nodded, “Siyeon nearly caused my untimely death, but that Yoobin girl saved my life. I must have passed out again after that because next thing I know, we’re here at the hospital,” she answered.

“We called your parents and told them what happened. They wanted to come check on you, but there are no flights available out of the Bahamas until tomorrow. We told them we had everything covered and we’d keep them in the loop,” Gahyeon explained.

“You scared the hell out of us when you fainted that second time. The doctor said he isn’t really sure why you did, but chalked it up to stress. Thankfully there was no permanent damage done. He told us to get him once you woke up so that he can do some final tests and give you the all-clear to go home,” Siyeon informed her.

Yoohyeon winced. Stress was certainly a good explanation for why she had fainted, but it wasn’t from the near-death experience. She could still picture Yoobin’s gorgeous smile in her mind. That sight was deadlier than anything Yoohyeon had gone through today. Her insides were still doing backflips at the thought of the other girl diving in to rescue her despite the two being complete strangers.

“Man, I can’t thank Yoobin enough for everything she did today. Most of the members of that club are a bunch of helpless ninnies who use their money to get by, but she sure has some useful skills. Not only did she pull you out of the pool herself, but she also performed mouth-to-mouth to get you breathing again,” Siyeon added, clutching her chest.

Yoohyeon’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. She knew that Yoobin had saved her life, but she had had no idea that the beautiful woman’s lips had been on top of hers. Sure, Yoobin was only doing it to save her sorry ass, but her heart was racing at the very idea of kissing her. In fact, her increasing heart rate caused the machines she was hooked up to to go haywire. Gahyeon and Siyeon began to panic, frantically calling for the doctor.  
~  
Yoobin took a deep breath and sat down on her couch. What a day. She was exhausted. She had no idea that saving someone’s life would be so strenuous. Still, she had no regrets about what she had done. Today’s events had made her even more excited about following in her family’s footsteps and becoming a doctor one day. 

Surprisingly, the most exhausting (and embarrassing) part was the amount of praise she’d received. Everyone who witnessed the event had made it a point to call her a hero and clap for her after the situation was over. The lifeguard had basically groveled at her feet and thanked her for preventing a drowning while she was on duty. If all of that wasn’t awkward enough, the local newspaper had already caught wind of what happened and reporters were begging for an interview. All she had done was the right thing. Anyone else could have done it if they knew how to swim and had basic first aid training. 

Yoobin was relieved to finally be home and out of the limelight. Her parents were both on-call at the hospital, so it was just her and Handong. She would have been fine on her own, but her best friend had insisted on taking care of her. She was banished to the couch for the rest of the night while Handong handled all of her usual responsibilities around the house. 

Yoobin flipped on the television, making sure to avoid the news channels. She didn’t want to see anything about today’s events at the country club. She just hoped Yoohyeon was okay. That was all that really mattered in this situation. She had seen her fainting as the paramedics took her away, which had deeply troubled her. She was already concerned about a possible head injury based on how she’d responded when Yoobin asked for her name. She wondered if Yoohyeon was being treated at her parent’s hospital. Even if she was, her parents would never reveal that information. They took patient confidentiality extremely seriously. She would just have to hope she’d see the taller girl back in action at the club soon.

“Why so serious?” Handong whispered in her ear, causing her to jump.

“I thought we talked about this. No sneaking up on me when I’m in the midst of deep thinking!” Yoobin scolded her, clutching her chest.

Handong giggled, “I’m sorry, you were in the zone and I couldn’t resist. Seriously, though, what’s on your mind? You’ve had a stressful day and I’m worried about you,” she spoke, setting their dinner on the coffee table and taking a seat beside her friend.

Yoobin smiled at Handong’s concern. She was always looking out for her. She patted the other girl’s hand in reassurance.

“No worries, I’m totally fine. I was just thinking about Yoohyeon, the girl I saved today. I wish I had a way to reach out and check up on her,” she explained.

Handong nodded, “Ah yes, your damsel in distress. I was amazed by your courage today. You acted like a total knight in shining armor,” she gushed, clutching her heart.

Yoobin blushed, “It’s not that deep, you weirdo! I just did what anybody else would do in that situation. I’m on my school’s swim team and my parents are doctors. It made sense for me to intervene,” she protested.

Handong smirked, “Yeah, and of course anybody would intervene if the love of their life was drowning. Don’t even bother denying it. I’ve been coming with you to the club since we were in diapers. You’ve been watching that girl since day one,” she pointed out.

Yoobin blushed even harder. She grabbed the nearest pillow and began to smack the other girl senseless. Handong put up her hands in defense and squealed as she was mercilessly attacked.

“Love of my life? What is this, a TV drama? I just think she’s really pretty and kind of weird in a cute, endearing way. What was I supposed to do, let her die?” Yoobin insisted, setting the pillow down and crossing her arms.

“You’re getting so defensive! You totally have a crush!” Handong snickered.

Yoobin rolled her eyes at her best friend’s immaturity. She had to admit, the other girl wasn’t too far off the mark. Part of her reason for asking Yoohyeon her name was to make sure the fall into the pool hadn’t given her severe brain damage, but she also had an ulterior motive. She finally knew the name of the girl who had caught her eye every summer she spent at the country club.

Thankfully, Handong turned her attention to eating dinner and thus stopped her teasing. Yoobin ate with her, her mind lingering on Yoohyeon the entire time. She hoped their paths would cross again soon.   
~  
Minji had just survived the lecture of the century from her very angry boss. Thankfully, he was allowing her to keep her job but she would only be allowed to go on break when another lifeguard was present. She was also being punished with bathroom duty for the rest of the summer. Sure it sucked, but she had kept her job and more importantly, no one got hurt. 

This whole thing had become a local phenomenon, and Minji had had to dodge reporters begging for her commentary. The club PR department took care of everything, but Minji was troubled by how much attention this was getting. The spotlight should have been on the brave girl who had saved the day. Minji learned that her name was Yoobin, and that the beauty she rescued from the depths of the pool was named Yoohyeon. She had been given all of this information when handling the proper medical and legal paperwork for the impending investigation. She had already been assured that no one was holding her responsible, but that they had to follow protocol. She just hoped all of this would blow over soon.

Now that she was off the clock, Minji was drowning her sorrows with Bora in their shared apartment. The two cracked a bottle and tried to wind down from the whirlwind of a day they’d had. Minji kept pouring shot after shot, hoping to forget how terrified she’d been of losing both her job and her favorite club member. Bora smiled sympathetically, patting her hand.

“Minji, take it easy. I know you wanna blame yourself for everything that happened today, but it’s really not your fault. If anything, the club should have to apologize to you for expecting you to work a long shift all by yourself. You’re entitled to a break. The timing of everything was just extremely unfortunate. Besides, that clown friend of hers is the one you should blame. Who tosses their friend in the deep end of a pool when they know she can’t swim?” Bora spoke up, shaking her head.

Minji smiled at her friend, grateful for her words of comfort. She knew Bora had several valid points, but she couldn’t shake the feelings of guilt she harbored. When it came down to it, she hadn’t been there to protect Yoohyeon when she needed her. She was realizing that her interest in the younger girl was bordering on attraction and she was confused by the feelings this day had caused. She hoped that everything that had happened wouldn’t deter Yoohyeon from coming back to the club.

Bora noticed Minji spacing out and frowned, waving her hand in front of her face.

“I know that look, you’re wrapped up in something. Everything’s gonna be alright. Yoohyeon is fine, Yoobin took care of everything, and you also helped handle the situation. Just take it easy, okay?” Bora insisted, squeezing Minji’s shoulder.

Minji gave her a weak smile and nodded at her words. She knew she would need to keep coming to work and pretend that nothing happened. Still, she wouldn’t be at ease until she saw Yoohyeon back in her usual spot by the pool. Until then, her summer was going to be dreary, no matter how sunny the weather.


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last but not least, the third and final chapter in this triple update! My only note for this one is that Handong and Yoobin are just friends-Yoohyeon is making assumptions about Handong being her girlfriend. I just wanna make sure that is totally clear, otherwise this chapter might be a lil confusing. Anyways, happy reading! <3

Yoohyeon had been parked in the same spot on her bed for weeks, aside from bathroom breaks and kitchen trips. She had yet to return to the scene of her almost drowning in fear of having to interact with her new crush. It had come to her attention that she was prone to what is known as gay panic. It was almost detrimental to her health on several occasions. Not to mention she was great at making herself look like an idiot in front of cute girls. She decided it was best to avoid the location where she had encountered not one, but two gorgeous women who made her lose her ability to function. She didn’t want to increase the potential for further humiliation.

While she had been successful in her efforts to avoid the country club so far, there was one obstacle in her plan. A family friend was having a birthday party and her parents would be unavailable for the rest of the summer, so she was being forced to go in their stead. She would have preferred playing video games in her room all evening, but knew that there would be hell to pay if she broke a social obligation. Her mom was an extremely pleasant woman, except for when she was angry. Yoohyeon shuddered at the amount of rage that woman was capable of when it came to her reputation being tarnished. Besides, the party was being held indoors in the evening, and was an exclusive event. There would be no reason for Minji to be there, and even if Yoobin was invited, there would be plenty of people there for her to hide behind. Yoohyeon figured she could survive one night out of her self-inflicted house arrest.

When Yoohyeon’s driver pulled up to the party, she gratefully accepted his hand as he escorted her out of the car. She knew her mother would have a fit if she had ridden her bicycle tonight. She wrapped her shawl around herself, bracing herself for a night of torture. She figured a lot of people would ask her about the pool incident. She was prepared to give the same exact answers to the same exact questions for most of the evening. She greeted the doorman with a smile and head nod before dipping into the flow of people milling throughout the venue. She was relieved to see plenty of waiters strolling around with trays of appetizers. She would need all of her strength to survive this party.

“Oh, Yoohyeon’s here! Thank goodness you’re alright. I was so worried when I heard about what happened to you!” a voice called before Yoohyeon had her arm grabbed by one of her mother’s friends and she was dragged into a conversation she didn’t want to have.

Yoohyeon eyed the appetizers longingly as she listened to a bunch of adults pretend that they had been concerned about her. Not one of them had bothered to call and check up on her, and their get-well soon cards had definitely been signed by someone who worked for them. She just smiled and nodded as they doted on her. The only thing on her mind was how delicious the shrimp cocktail looked.

“Ah, you know what? The hero herself is here too! Have you met Yoobin? She’s the one who saved you. Her parents are fabulous doctors, and it seems they trained their daughter well. You know what? I see her over there. Let me go get her!” one of the women declared before racing off for a moment and returning with Yoobin in tow.

Yoohyeon froze. She had been hoping to lay low at this party, but now she had no choice but to interact with the girl who turned her legs to jelly. If that weren’t bad enough, Yoobin was wearing the hottest pantsuit Yoohyeon had ever seen. She looked like a fierce businesswoman. Yoohyeon was totally willing to pull a Fifty Shades of Gray for her. Much to Yoohyeon’s disappointment, however, Yoobin was escorting an extremely gorgeous woman. Yoohyeon would never be able to compete with the elegant beauty on Yoobin’s arm. Yoohyeon gave Yoobin a weak smile and wave, too scared to speak but not wanting to be rude.

“Ah, Yoohyeon, I’m glad you’re okay. I haven’t seen you at the club lately. Have you been home recovering? I hope all is well,” Yoobin, as angelic as ever, initiated the conversation.

One of the women in their circle clutched her chest.

“What a dear! Her first order of business is checking up on the person she saved,” she gushed.

Yoobin smiled politely at the compliment, but looked embarrassed. Hot, smart, and humble? Gosh, it was enough to knock Yoohyeon off her feet. In fact, it did. Everyone let out startled gasps when Yoohyeon wobbled for a few seconds before falling down. Thankfully Yoobin had the reflexes to catch her before she hit the ground. Yoohyeon looked up to find Yoobin gazing down at her worriedly. The other woman helped her get back to her feet and helped her put her shawl back on, which had gone haphazard when she fell. Yoohyeon was internally screaming the entire time.

“Wow, you saved her not once, but twice! Incredible!” one woman applauded before being joined by the others who all clapped at Yoobin’s actions.

Yoobin scratched the back of her head and blushed at the attention. Yoohyeon knew she was supposed to be thanking the other girl, but she just couldn’t form words. All she could do was nod pathetically at the other girl in acknowledgement of her kindness.

“It has been a pleasure speaking with all of you, but I should really go eat something. I don’t want to miss out on those incredible appetizers. Yoohyeon, you haven’t eaten yet either, right? Why don’t you come too? Have a lovely rest of your evening, everyone,” Yoobin spoke up, grabbing Yoohyeon’s hand and whisking her off with her and her friend.

“Sorry for being so forceful. I just figured you wanted out of there. I sure know I did,” Yoobin murmured into her ear as they were leaving.

Yoohyeon’s heart hammered in her chest. Her crush was holding her hand and whispering into her ear. She was ready to launch herself into the sun, or in this case, the moon since the party was being held in the evening. She just followed along, hoping she wouldn’t embarrass herself any more than she already had.

“Where are my manners? I should introduce my friend over here. This is Handong. She’s my plus-one for this event,” Yoobin realized as she gestured to the pretty girl who was still on her arm.

Handong gave Yoohyeon a dazzling smile and waved like a pageant queen. She was more glamorous than a movie star. No wonder Yoobin was showing her off. Yoohyeon felt the sting of disappointment at seeing how perfect Yoobin’s girlfriend was. If Yoobin dated girls like this, then her clumsy, awkward self would never have a chance. Not wanting to be rude, she smiled back at Handong and gave a less graceful wave.

“It looks like you came here by yourself. I’m surprised you didn’t bring one of those girls who was with you at the pool. I believe their names were Siyeon and Gahyeon?” Yoobin mused as she grabbed a delicious looking morsel from one of the waiter’s trays and popped it into her mouth.

Yoohyeon had considered bringing one her best friends to make the night more bearable, but they both hated going to her “rich people stuff” as they called it. Not to mention, the last time she had brought either one of them, Siyeon kept talking to people about wolves and Gahyeon was so loud that even the elderly guests were clutching their ears. Her mother had essentially asked that she never bring them to any high-society events ever again. 

Yoohyeon let out a nervous chuckle as she bit into her own appetizer.

“Uh, they were both busy tonight,” she lied.

Yoobin grinned.

“That’s too bad. Those two sure are entertaining,” she said.

“They’re both cute too. I was at the pool with Yoobin that day,” Handong added.

Yoohyeon quirked an eyebrow. Why was Yoobin’s girlfriend hitting on her friends? Not to mention, she was doing it in front of her date. That sure was tacky. She coughed, desperately wanting to change the subject.

“That cough sounded a little rough. Are you feeling alright? I haven’t seen you at the club in a long time, so it made me a little worried,” Yoobin admitted, gazing at Yoohyeon with concern.

Yoobin barely knew her and was looking out for her even after she’d been the one to save her life. What had Yoohyeon done to deserve this? Her cheeks were flaming. She twiddled her fingers and tried to come up with a better explanation than ‘I put myself on house arrest because I’m too gay to function.’

“That’s um, really nice of you. The doctor’s told me to take it easy for a little bit, but I’m totally fine. In fact, I am probably just about back to normal!” she told the other girl, even though the doctor’s actual words had been quite different.

Yoobin smiled, relieved. Next to her, Handong clapped her hands.

“That’s great! Maybe you can take my place as Yoobin’s tennis partner this week. We normally cream everybody on the court together, but I have to go visit my family in China. Yoobin was just gonna withdraw from this week’s club tournament, but you should take my place so she doesn’t have to!” she suggested.

Yoohyeon blinked rapidly, trying to process what the other girl was asking of her. Why would Yoobin’s girlfriend want her playing tennis with someone else while she was out of the country? Was this one of those “open relationships” where people don’t want to use labels? Besides, they had both seen firsthand what a klutz she was. Why on earth would they think this was a good idea? Given her inability to be a normal person when Yoobin is involved, she should have rejected the offer. However, when did Yoohyeon ever act in her own best interest?

“Uh, sure! If you’re cool with it,” she found herself saying.

Yoobin smiled at her.

“Thanks, Yoohyeon. I apologize for Handong’s forcefulness. She’s pretty competitive. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re capable of on the court. The competition is on Wednesday afternoon. I’ll meet you at the club tennis courts at three,” she informed the other girl.

“You two should also exchange numbers! That way you can make sure you have all the proper equipment and arrangements and whatnot,” Handong chimed in.

Handong sure was weird in Yoohyeon’s opinion. She was acting more like Yoobin’s wingwoman than her girlfriend. Still, she was grateful for her suggestion because immediately Yoobin was pulling her phone out and asking for Yoohyeon’s number. The two exchanged contact information, and Yoohyeon was proud of herself for not fainting or bursting into cheers.

Eventually, Yoohyeon was whisked off by another one of her mother’s friends and had to spend the rest of the party talking to random strangers about her near-death experience. She caught Yoobin’s eye once or twice throughout the rest of the evening, and could have sworn the other girl was staring at her. She left the party on cloud nine, still in disbelief that she had her crush’s phone number and was going to be her tennis partner. When she got home, she would have to start doing her research. She had four days to learn how to play tennis.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salutations, cool kids! I am back once again with a longer/sadder chapter. :’) English is a whole mess and you can spell racket as racquet so we are being fancy as FRICK even though we are also angsty as FRICK! Speaking of English being a mess, I have been speaking/reading/writing in this language since I was born and I still never know when to use a comma. That being said, MAD respect to anybody who writes in a language that is not their first/native language. The only other language I have even a fraction of experience with is French and I can MAYBE write in that at a kindergarten level. I just wanted to say that because I feel like people can be so hard on their own writing when language is constantly evolving and the rules are always changing. In my opinion, what’s important is that you write from the heart and enjoy yourself. That was my mushy speech for the day-I’ll shut up and let you read now. :D (Sidenote: Piri is so freaking good the girls are getting more attention and Gahyeon got to rap we are all so BLESSED!!)

When it came to shopping for clothes, Yoohyeon had never been happier to come from a rich family. She spent hours shopping for the perfect tennis outfit and even dragged Gahyeon along to help. She would have brought both of her best friends, but she had a crush to impress, and Siyeon’s fashion sense was kind of a mess. After hitting just about every store in town, her and Gahyeon eventually found an adorable skirt with a matching polo that fit well and would be comfortable to play in. She had also bought the cutest knee high socks to wear along with her sneakers and favorite visor. She couldn’t wait to show off her sporty side in style.

In addition to looking for the perfect outfit, Yoohyeon had been teaching herself some basic tennis skills. She had played more than her fair share of Wii Tennis, but she knew that wasn’t going to cut it. She ended up purchasing a book on Tennis for Dummies as well as a fancy racquet set and balls to practice with. She was relieved that her family lived on a property surrounded by trees so that her neighbors couldn’t watch her attempts at playing. Several of her mother’s plants as well as some of the lawn furniture were destroyed in Yoohyeon’s journey to become a better tennis player. 

With only four days to prepare, she had managed to improve somewhat but was still pretty terrible. She debated cancelling, but she didn’t want to disappoint Yoobin. Besides, she didn’t want to give up an opportunity to spend time alone with the girl who’d stolen her heart. Hopefully Yoobin wasn’t the competitive type and wouldn’t mind having the worst tennis partner in history holding her back.  
~  
That Wednesday, Yoohyeon sauntered up to the tennis courts, trying to look confident even though she was a nervous mess. She took a moment to scope out the competition and saw the various pairs warming up together. They all looked like they meant business. She gulped as she kept passing team after team, and eventually found Yoobin. She almost took a tennis ball to the face when she paused to take in the other girl’s appearance. Thankfully, someone had jumped in front of her to hit it and yelled at her to watch where she was going. Yoohyeon apologized and kept walking, still admiring her gorgeous crush.

Yoobin was drinking a water bottle and had yet to notice Yoohyeon approaching. The taller girl took this opportunity to shamelessly check her out. Yoobin’s short hair was tucked under a baseball cap which was already swoon-worthy enough on its own. Her eyes trailing downwards, Yoohyeon caught a glimpse of the tank top and shorts the other girl was wearing. The outfit was simple, but Yoobin made it look like it could be on the cover of a magazine with her gorgeous shoulders and smooth legs. Yoohyeon was finding it difficult to breathe. Yoobin finally noticed her and waved her over with a smile.

“You made it! I’m so glad you’re here. Nice outfit, you look ready for Wimbledon! The first match starts in about twenty minutes. You and I are towards the end of the lineup, so we’ll have plenty of time before we have to play. Do you wanna do some warm ups in the meantime?” Yoobin greeted her with a grin.

“Sure!” Yoohyeon chirped, wincing at how high her voice came out.

Yoobin politely ignored her banshee screech and led her over to an open court. Yoohyeon set down her gym bag and tried to follow the other girl’s lead. It was dawning on her how royally screwed she was. Despite her best efforts, nobody could learn how to play tennis in only four days. Not to mention she was one of the least athletic people on the planet. Agreeing to be Yoobin’s tennis partner was a fatal mistake. She was about to embarrass both herself and Yoobin and the other girl would probably never want to speak to her again. Yoohyeon’s legs began to tremble with nervousness. She was moving with all of the grace of a newborn giraffe learning how to walk for the first time. She clumsily copied the stretches she saw Yoobin doing before going to grab her racquet from her bag once she saw her get up to do so. She shakily pulled it out and took her best stance as Yoobin placed the ball in her hand and poised to serve it.

Yoohyeon would have loved if the next several minutes could be erased from history. Basically, everything that happened after Yoobin served the ball was a total trainwreck. First, Yoohyeon raced to hit the ball, but because her hands were so sweaty from nerves, her racquet slipped out of her grip and flew right into another player’s head. She yelled and fell to the ground, causing her partner to trip over her and also fall to the ground screaming. Yoohyeon looked at them, horrified, and hurried to apologize. She was so wrapped up in her concern for them that she forgot about the tennis ball that was still hurtling towards her.

“Yoohyeon, look out!” Yoobin yelled.

Yoohyeon turned her head just in time to take a tennis ball to the face. She hit the ground with a thud, clutching her aching mouth. As she fell, her ankle twisted, causing a sharp jolt of pain through her leg. Yoohyeon’s face burned with shame. She could feel tears of embarrassment springing to her eyes. She wanted the ground to swallow her whole and for everyone to forget she had ever existed. To make things worse, Yoobin, being herself, had raced over to make sure Yoohyeon was okay. The shorter girl was already kneeling over her, examining her injuries.  
“Oh god, are you okay? That looked like it really hurt. I’m so sorry! Do you think you can stand? We need to get you somewhere where you can have your face looked at, and maybe your ankle too. That fall didn’t look good,” Yoobin mused as she gently poked and prodded Yoohyeon, further wounding her pride.

Yoohyeon was barely holding it together. Yoobin was acting like this had been her fault when Yoohyeon was the one who goofed everything up. Why couldn’t she just function like a normal human being? Why did she have to be so awkward and embarrassing? She was desperately trying not to start bawling, lest she humiliate herself and Yoobin even more. The rest of the players were already staring at them as if they were an exhibit in a museum. Yoobin, sensing the other girl’s discomfort, quickly hoisted her to her feet. Yoohyeon yelped at the sudden strain on her ankle. Yoobin apologized and shuffled Yoohyeon onto her back so that she could wrap her legs around Yoobin’s waist to keep from putting any additional pressure on her injury. Yoohyeon buried her face in Yoobin’s shoulder while the smaller girl carried her away on piggyback. All she could think about was what a burden she was being for her, both literally and figuratively.  
~  
Yoobin kept trudging along with Yoohyeon draped across her back. Yoohyeon wasn’t sure where Yoobin was taking her, but didn’t have it in her to question her. She didn’t want to be more of a pain than she already was. Despite being small in size herself, Yoobin carried her as if she weighed nothing. Yoohyeon felt her heart fluttering. Every single interaction between the two of them so far had ended in Yoobin saving her. What had she done to deserve so much kindness from her? Wasn’t Yoobin sick of having to be nice to her when she was so useless?

Yoohyeon started to recognize her surroundings as her and Yoobin drew nearer to a place that was very familiar to her. Her heart began beating rapidly as they approached the gates to the club swimming pool.

“As much as I appreciate you carrying me, why are we going here and not the hospital?” she asked, her eyes darting around nervously.

Yoobin turned her head to direct her voice at the girl she was piggybacking.

“I figured we could have one of the lifeguards check on your injuries since they’re the only club employees trained in first aid. I would have examined you myself on the court, but it didn’t seem like you wanted an audience. The reason I’m having someone else look at you is so that I can call my parents in the meantime. They’re both doctors at one of the best hospitals in town. We’ll make sure you get proper care as quickly as possible,” she assured her.

Yoohyeon felt sick to her stomach. Even from the entryway, she could see who was working today. Minji was seated in the lifeguard’s seat keeping vigil over the pool. Yoohyeon had never seen the other girl look so serious. It made sense considering Yoohyeon had almost made her lose her job. She figured she was doing the woman a favor by steering clear of her domain. She didn’t think she had it in her to face Minji, much less ask for help from her. Yoohyeon’s body began to tremble. She felt short of breath and nauseous. This was no longer gay panic, it was a straight up panic attack. Yoobin could sense something was wrong and stopped moving.

“Yoohyeon, is everything alright? Is your ankle bothering you? I promise we’ll take care of-”

“Stop. Just stop!” Yoohyeon cried, cutting her off.

Yoobin frowned, more concerned for Yoohyeon than hurt by her actions. She did as she was told and stayed silent while patiently waiting for further instructions. Yoohyeon, meanwhile, was overwhelmed. All she wanted was to get out of there, but she was trapped because of her ankle. The sun was beating down on them, making Yoohyeon feel even worse. She couldn’t explain why, but she just couldn’t enter those gates. The thought of having to face Minji was building an impassable wall around the pool. She would have sooner limped home than have to face her. 

She felt awful. Yoobin was just trying to help her and here she was making things even more complicated. It seemed to be her speciality. She couldn’t keep the other girl waiting forever. It was a hot day and it couldn’t be easy having to carry someone all the way around the club’s expansive property. Yoohyeon didn’t want to burden her anymore. She knew what she had to do, and it was going to kill her to do it.

“Put me down,” she said so quietly Yoobin barely heard her.

“Right here? The pool is still a little ways away,” Yoobin pointed out with a frown.

“I’m not going to the pool. I’ll call my friend Siyeon and she can take me to the clinic near my neighborhood. It was nice of you to carry me this far, but I don’t need any more of your help,” Yoohyeon stated, trying not to cry at how cold she was being.

Yoobin looked confused.

“Yoohyeon, I’m not sure I understand what’s going on here. Did I do something wrong? I promise it’s really no trouble at all to call my parents,” she said before realizing, “Oh god, it’s about the pool, isn’t it? How inconsiderate of me. I just assumed you’d be able to go back there like it’s nothing, but you haven’t been back since the incident. I’m sorry for not being more empathetic,” she apologized.

Yoohyeon couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. Once again Yoobin was finding a way to take the blame and look out for her best interest. She felt like such a selfish bitch. Why couldn’t she just accept her help and be grateful? She deserved for Yoobin to just dump her on the ground for what a pain she was being.

Yoobin heard her sobs and looked up at her worriedly.

“Yoohyeon, please don’t cry. We can fix this. Tell me what you need and I’ll take care of it,” she tried to comfort her, using the same soothing tone Yoohyeon remembered hearing when she rescued her at the pool.

That sealed the deal. Yoobin may not have realized it because she was too kind for her own good, but Yoohyeon could see what a hassle she was for the other girl. She didn’t want to be a nuisance anymore. Yoohyeon was already in pain, but what she said next hurt her more than anything else that had happened that day.

“What I need is for you to leave me alone. I said I’d call Siyeon to help me. I don’t understand why you keep trying to play hero. Just let me handle this myself and go away!” she snapped.

Yoobin went silent. She did as she was told, gently setting Yoohyeon on the ground. She looked upset, but still held her composure.

“I don’t want to make things worse, so I’ll do as you say. I’m not leaving until Siyeon picks you up though, and nothing will change my mind on that,” she murmured.

Yoohyeon bit her already injured lip and tried to get it together. She had already done enough damage. Yoobin didn’t owe her even a shred of kindness at this point, and the fact that she was still looking out for her made her feel like absolute shit for being so rude. Yoohyeon pressed the number she’d saved Siyeon under in her speed dial, and waited for her friend to pick up. She stared at the pavement, unable to look at Yoobin.

“Hey there! Aren’t you supposed to be playing tennis with your riveting rescuer?” came the familiar voice on the other line.

“Si, I got hurt playing tennis at the club. Can you come pick me up and drive me to the hospital?” Yoohyeon asked in a shaky voice.

“Oh god, of course! I can be there in fifteen minutes. What happened? Is anybody with you right now?” Siyeon demanded, going into protective friend mode.

“Yoobin’s with me right now. We’re over by the pool entrance. Please hurry. Thank you for doing this,” Yoohyeon whimpered before hanging up.

True to her word, Siyeon arrived in right about fifteen minutes. Also true to her word, Yoobin stuck around until the other girl pulled up and raced over to them. Siyeon noticed the tension in the air, but chose not to comment on it.

“Holy shit, Yoohyeon, your face! What happened? You know what, don’t tell me. It looks like it would hurt to talk. Let’s get you to the clinic right away. Easy does it now,” Siyeon fussed over her best friend, gently picking her up bridal-style.

“Hello again, Yoobin. Thanks for looking out for her. Yoo’s pretty light, so I should be able to take it from here. Do you need a ride home or anything?” Siyeon offered.

Yoobin shook her head and smiled sadly.

“I can get back fine on my own, thank you. If you two are sure you can handle things from here, I’ll be on my way. Be careful of her ankle when you’re getting her situated. I think she may have sprained it or there’s a possibility that it’s broken or fractured. Either way, make sure not to put any sudden pressure on it,” she advised before she glanced at Yoohyeon one last time and then walked away.

Yoohyeon watched her leave and wanted to reach out to stop her. She wanted to apologize and assure the other girl that she had done nothing wrong. Unfortunately, she was unable to find the words and lacked the courage to even open her mouth. After everything that had happened, she was exhausted. She could only lay helplessly in Siyeon’s arms with a miserable expression on her face. Siyeon saw this and looked at her with sympathy, gently hugging her close to her chest as she headed towards her car. She would eventually ask her what on earth had happened between the two of them, but she knew that right now Yoohyeon just needed a friend. 

Siyeon gingerly lowered the taller girl into the back seat of her car, helping her stretch out her legs and settle into a comfortable position. She then slammed the door and got into the driver’s seat, starting the engine and putting the car into gear so that they could get out of there. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she noticed Minji the lifeguard staring at them with concern etched into her features. She must have been worried about Yoohyeon too. Siyeon smiled, happy to see that both of the women her friend adored cared about her wellbeing. 

On their way out of the parking lot, they encountered Yoobin once again. She was sitting at a bus stop near the club, which was unusual considering most of the patrons or their parents could afford fancy cars and chauffeurs to take them places. Siyeon did a double take to make sure she hadn’t mixed Yoobin up with someone else. Sure enough, she would recognize those adorable cheeks anywhere. As they drove past, Siyeon could have sworn she saw tears trailing down them.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Somnie sisters, brothers, and lovely nonbinary siblings! We are a -Bora voice- family! I know we’re all still bummed from Dreamcatcher missing out on their first win this week, but Piri is still gonna kick ass and we still have their back for the rest of promotions!! Take heart because the numbers were lookin GOOD on The Show my friends. Dreamcatcher is rising! Happy reading and much love! <3

Empty buses might be the closest thing to paradise on earth. Yoobin was relieved that few people were around to see her cry. She didn’t want any strangers to sit there pitying her. After all, what did she have to be miserable about? Her family was financially stable, she had loving parents and an amazing best friend, she was in good health and getting an excellent education, yet she was still prone to the heart shattering feeling of loss that plagued so many people every day. Yoohyeon’s words had cut her like a knife, and they echoed in her head for the entire bus ride.

‘I don’t understand why you need to keep playing hero.’

She was right. Yoobin knew there was no such thing as altruism. Every selfless act she performed fulfilled her sense of purpose and made her feel better about herself. Heck, she had just had her heart broken and her way of coping with her grief was to return to her favorite place to volunteer. Being at the children’s hospital was Yoobin’s biggest source of joy. Regardless of what illnesses and injuries afflicted them, kids were still able to be kids. Helping to give these children a shot at a better quality of life gave Yoobin hope. 

In one of her classes Yoobin had learned about what is known as the “god complex” which is common among medical professionals. People feeling that because someone’s life is in their hands, they are as powerful as a divine entity. She wondered if she suffered from this. She wanted to think of herself as a kind person, but maybe Yoohyeon was right. Maybe she was just playing hero when in reality she was just looking out for her ego. 

Maybe she should have taken Yoohyeon’s feelings into consideration rather than just acting on her own intuition. She had spent so many years admiring Yoohyeon from afar, and now that she had finally gotten to be by her side, she had pushed her away by being too overbearing. She had always found the taller girl to be as beautiful as a doll, but that didn’t mean she was as fragile as one. Yoobin sighed to herself as she remembered the first time she encountered her summer dream.  
~  
Four-year-old Yoobin’s lip wobbled as she stared at the menacing waters before her. The country club’s swimming pool looked as if it could swallow her tiny body in one swift gulp and never spit her back out. Her mom held her arms out expectantly, waiting for her daughter to jump into them so that they could start swimming lessons. Handong, who was a year older and had already learned to swim, was floating on her back with a leisurely smile on her young face. 

“Come on, it’s not as scary as it looks. Swimming is actually really fun. Once you learn we can go on the slides together all the time!” Handong cheered her on.

Despite her best friend’s encouragement, Yoobin wouldn’t budge from her spot beneath the beach umbrella. Her cheeks puffed with frustration at herself. Why was she being such a scaredy cat? Plenty of kids her age were in the water with their moms, all of them seeming to have a blast. Yoobin readjusted her panda floatie and scanned the area to see if anybody else was as scared of the water as she was. Her eyes fell on a girl who looked to be around her age who was built like a stick. She was tall, thin, and gangly with cute rabbit-like teeth. Yoobin watched as this girl burst into tears when her parents tried to coax her into the pool. The tall girl ran away from them and burrowed herself into the safety of a Spongebob beach towel. Yoobin’s eyes flashed with sympathy. She understood the other girl’s pain. She decided at that moment to be brave, for both of their sakes. 

Yoobin threw her beloved floatie onto her chair so that she could get down to business. Letting out a tiny battle cry, she got a running start and launched herself into her mother’s arms. Her mom let out a grunt, surprised by her daughter’s sudden intensity, but quickly began to praise her courage. 

Throughout her swim lesson, Yoobin looked over to see if the stick girl had been inspired by her actions. She found her still curled up in her towel, busy playing some kind of handheld game. Yoobin frowned and dunked beneath the pool’s surface once again.  
~  
A few years later, seven-year-old Yoobin was eagerly awaiting her turn on the diving board. She had already lost both front teeth this summer, so she wasn’t afraid of anything. She ran her tongue over the empty space, reminding her of how quickly she was growing up. 

Behind her, Handong was stretching to make sure she didn’t pull a muscle. Yoobin didn’t understand why her best friend was always so nervous about that considering she was the most graceful diver Yoobin had ever seen. She looked like a mermaid whenever she breached the water’s surface.

Eventually the line dwindled down and Yoobin climbed the ladder. As she stepped onto the rickety plank overlooking the entire pool, she took a moment to search for her favorite club patron. She had seen that twiggy looking girl at the pool every day of every summer and never once saw the girl come even close to getting in the water. She wanted to see if today would be the day. 

As expected, she found the girl in the same beach chair she always took, sitting in an oversized t-shirt and chomping away on a bag of chips. Yoobin grinned to herself. She would make this dive extra special in her honor, she was doing this for the both of them. Turning around with her back to the water, Yoobin executed the perfect backflip. To this day, Handong says it was the best one she’d ever seen her do.  
~  
Thirteen year old Yoobin was grateful to be on the swim team. Bathing suits felt like a second skin to her at this point, so she was less prone to the awkward feelings associated with wearing one during puberty. Like almost every girl her age, she was still prone to nitpicking her features and hating certain things about herself. Swimming had given her broad shoulders and she had yet to lose any of the puff in her cheeks. Despite all of this, she still made it a point to spend her summers at the club pool.

Given her age, she was beginning to take notice of her peers and how they were developing. It was the classic curse of comparing oneself to those around them. Yoobin knew that many of the club patrons underwent cosmetic surgeries to enhance certain parts of themselves and shrink the less desirable things. Her mother had warned her about all of the medical complications that these procedures could cause if not done properly. She had also told her that while it was always her choice, she hoped she wouldn’t deem it necessary to one day do these things. Yoobin thought it was easy for her to say those things, with her fully developed and proportional body. Nonetheless, she had faith that she would become more comfortable with the skin she was in as she aged.

Yoobin found herself wrapping her towel tighter around herself as she surveyed the people around her. Her gaze lingered on one person in particular. Handong had begun referring to this girl as Yoobin’s “Apple” because she was the apple of her eye every time they came to the pool. It was the same girl she’d been watching ever since her first swim lesson. She became taller and thinner every summer, sprouting like a tree. Yoobin was envious of her tiny waist and endless legs. Could this girl be any more perfect? Even though she was covering far more skin than everyone around her, she made Yoobin’s face heat up more than the summer sun itself.  
~   
Yoobin caught herself looking back to the most fateful day of all. 

A few weeks ago, she had been sitting with Handong at the pool. Yoobin, exhausted from a late night EMT class, was dozing away in one of the chairs. Handong lounged beside her with a magazine in hand as she caught some rays on her already radiant skin. It was a typical day lazing away under the sun.

Yoobin cracked an eye open when she was startled by a sudden noise. It sounded like people were screaming. Handong rolled her eyes, setting down her magazine and turning to Yoobin.

“Whose brat is causing a ruckus this time? I swear, the least these people could do is use their money to hire nannies if they aren’t gonna discipline their children themselves,” she huffed.

Yoobin grinned at her friend’s irritation. Handong had grown up in a strict home and thus had very little patience for bad behavior. Growing up wealthy, Yoobin was so used to being around entitled children that it barely phased her anymore. She glanced around in amusement, looking for the source of the noise. Her eyebrows furrowed when she recognized the two screaming women, who were neither children nor club members. She recognized them as the guests that that one stick-like girl always brought with her. They were always noisy, but this seemed different. They seemed genuinely panicked about something. She followed their wild flailing gestures and realized what they were freaking out about. The girl she’d secretly admired for years was currently lying face-down in the pool, completely still.

Yoobin shot up from her chair like a rocket, startling Handong. She heard her friend calling her name as she jetted off towards the cute girl’s friends. Her gut was telling her to dive right in and rescue her crush, but she was a rational person before all else. She needed to know the situation before jumping in. After all, her and her friends could have just been playing some sick joke. She raced over to the stressed out duo, desperately trying to calm them down. She grabbed both of them by the shoulders.

“Please stop screaming and answer what I’m about to ask you. Is that your friend in the pool?” Yoobin demanded, being gentle yet firm.

“Yes, she is! She never learned how to swim and this idiot decided to throw her in the deep end while the lifeguard is on break! Can you save her?” the shorter of the two wailed, pointing to her companion as she dissed her.

Yoobin nodded, “I’ve been a swimmer for years, and I know first aid. I’ll take care of everything. Just please stay calm,” she assured the two of them before getting into position and leaping into the pool. 

Yoobin always felt at home in the water. As a child, she had been afraid of its depths, but also mesmerized by its beauty. Learning to swim had conquered her fear, but she still respected its majesty. She glided through the undersurface of the pool, kicking her legs rhythmically. She immediately found her target, rigid and unmoving. Most people put up some resistance when drowning due to the sheer panic it causes, but this girl seemed to have accepted her fate. It broke Yoobin’s heart that she was so quick to relent. Yoobin immediately took her into her arms and paddled towards the surface. 

The two of them emerged from the water, Yoobin taking in the sweet taste of oxygen while the girl in her arms lay unconscious. Yoobin frowned. She had probably taken too much water into her lungs. Yoobin was going to have to perform CPR to get her breathing again. She gently placed her on the ground and leaned over her with authority. A small crowd had gathered, eager to be a part of the suspense, but thankfully the girl’s friends were keeping them at bay. The only thing Yoobin cared about was saving this girl. 

Up close, she was even more beautiful than Yoobin remembered. Her soft, delicate features were still radiant even in this frightening situation. Yoobin’s heart drummed in her chest as she drew closer to the girl’s face, ready to do mouth-to-mouth while gently pressing on her torso. This was a matter of life and death, but Yoobin was still melting at the feeling of the girl’s soft lips beneath hers. She gave it her all, desperately wishing to save her. The sun would never shine again if she lost her. 

Thankfully, her actions worked and the girl awoke with a start, violently coughing up the water she’d swallowed. Yoobin leaned back and breathed out a sigh of relief. Her crush made eye contact with her, clearly trying to orient herself and determine her surroundings. Yoobin felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips and an important question came to mind. She was ready to give a name to her summer dream.  
~  
Yoobin’s bus stopped in front of the hospital and she sprung up from her seat and gathered her belongings. The minute she was off the bus and through the doors of the building, a crowd of patients were surrounding her. She was hit by a barrage of loud voices talking about how excited they were to see her. She gently patted each of their heads, a warm feeling coming over her despite the ache in her heart.

“It’s nice to see you all again. What a warm welcome!” she gushed, smiling at each individual child.

One of her favorites, a young girl who held onto a stuffed rabbit, jumped up and down.

“Doctor Yoobin is our hero!” she squealed.

There it was again. The word Yoohyeon had spat at her so angrily. The other girl’s words ricocheted back into her mind and began to play on loop. Yoobin’s smile wavered. She reached for the little girl’s hand and clasped it gently.

“That’s very nice of you to say, but I’m no hero. I’m just a regular person. I’m flattered that you look up to me, but you should know that I’m far from perfect. In fact, all of you are my heroes. You’re all much braver than I’ll ever be,” she spoke to the children, making sure to look at each one of them.

The kids, thrilled that they were being called heroes, began making superhero poses and running around with their pretend superpowers. Yoobin giggled at their enthusiasm. Still, her happiness was clouded by the hurt she felt.

Her mind went back to the day she had saved Yoohyeon. She wondered what would be different if the lifeguard hadn’t gone on break. Yoohyeon was probably meant to be with someone like her, an actual hero. Yoobin had seen the way Yoohyeon seized upon seeing her again. Clearly there were unresolved feelings there. Maybe that was why Yoohyeon had sent her away with such force. Yoobin’s heart broke even more as it dawned on her how much she had forced her way into the other girl’s life. All along she had wanted to be Yoohyeon’s hero, but it was just a role she had made up. As she watched the kids, all thrilled to see her, Yoobin silently resolved to give Yoohyeon space and focus on those who needed her.


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi loves! I'm posting this chapter before I head off on a quick weekend trip. B) I wanna thank you for all of the kudos and comments-your support is much appreciated! I actually finished rough drafts of the last two chapters, but I am gonna hold off on posting them in case I make any changes. I plan on my next fic being a Jibo, so hopefully I can get to work on that one soon and post the first chapter before too long. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this update! <3

Yoohyeon leaned back and let out a sigh, reclining further along the couch. Her injured ankle was propped up on a stack of pillows in front of her. Thankfully it was only sprained, but she was still advised to take it easy for the next few weeks.

It had already been several days since her fight with Yoobin. Time had dragged on agonizingly slow ever since then. Yoohyeon mostly played video games and ate junk food while moping around in various rooms of her house. She wasn’t in the mood to see or talk to anyone. If it was up to her, she would just drop off the face of the planet forever. Thankfully her parents were still on their trip and she had the house to herself. They had offered to come home, but Yoohyeon assured them her ankle barely hurt and that she had her friends to help her if she needed anything. Siyeon and Gahyeon texted her constantly, but she usually ignored their messages. She had already done a good enough job of screwing over people who only wanted to help her.

Yoohyeon’s heart ached as she thought about Yoobin. Handong would be returning from China any day now, so at least she would have her girlfriend with her once again. She thought about the two of them embracing at the airport, ready to catch up after their past few days apart. Her stomach churned when she imagined what Yoobin would have to say about her. The two of them would probably scoff at how ungrateful and terrible she was. Yoohyeon wanted to cry. She would probably never see Yoobin again, and it hurt to know that she brought this upon herself. 

Yoohyeon was wiping her tears on her blanket when an urgent knock came at the door. The knock was quickly followed by another one before two sets of fists began pounding on her door. If Yoohyeon didn’t know any better, she would think her house was being shot by Rambo. She limped to answer it, figuring the only people who would make that kind of an entrance were the police. She flung open the door only to be blindsided by two bodies that engulfed her in the most aggressive hug of her life. Yoohyeon shrieked, wobbling painfully on her injured ankle.

“Shit, she’s still recovering!” Siyeon cursed, quickly grabbing Yoohyeon’s shoulders to steady her.

“Whoops, sorry! I’m just so glad you’re okay, Yoo!” Gahyeon gushed, stepping back while Siyeon got Yoohyeon back on her feet.

The taller girl groaned. She hadn’t expected her best friends to ambush her like this. She had hoped they’d continue to leave her be. Still, now that they were here, she didn't want to be rude.

“What are you guys doing here? With how hard you were knocking, I thought there’d been some kind of emergency,” Yoohyeon spoke up.

“Well, we sure as hell thought you’d had one considering I haven’t heard jack shit from you since I drove you home from the clinic almost a week ago,” Siyeon retorted, crossing her arms.

“I thought maybe you’d fallen while going to grab a snack from the pantry and we’d find you lying on the floor awaiting death,” Gahyeon explained, ever the concerned friend.

Yoohyeon scoffed, “It’s nice to know how highly you think of me that you figured I’d die from a sprained ankle,” she muttered.

“Can you blame us? You haven’t said a word to either one of us, and when I tried to get a hold of your parents they said you told them we were taking care of you. I know you’ve been in some kind of weird funk since your mysterious tennis fiasco with Yoobin, but you can’t just blow everybody off. Please try to keep us in the loop, okay?” Siyeon argued, looking at Yoohyeon earnestly.

Yoohyeon’s tears returned when Siyeon brought up Yoobin. She found herself unable to stifle them, sniffling pathetically. Gahyeon frowned and pulled her into a hug.

“Yoohyeon, what’s wrong? You know you can tell us anything. You shouldn’t bottle things up and push people away,” the youngest stated as she guided Yoohyeon back to the couch.

Yoohyeon’s friends sat down on either side of her and took her hands in theirs. They were both looking at her, clearly urging her to open up about her problems. Yoohyeon’s lip wobbled, touched by how much they cared. She felt awful for ignoring them. Siyeon and Gahyeon had been by her side since childhood, and the trio had never had any secrets between them. Besides, those two were so stubborn that there was no way they’d let her drop the subject. She decided to open up about what had happened.

“You guys, I really screwed up with Yoobin. As you can probably guess, learning how to play tennis in four days with my hand-eye coordination was a pipe dream at best. I not only flung my racquet at one of the other players, I also managed to take a tennis ball to the face and sprain my ankle while falling. I humiliated both of us, but she was nothing but sweet about it. All she cared about was making sure I was okay. She literally slung me on her back and carried me all the way to the pool so that she could have a lifeguard check on me while she got in touch with her parents. Yoobin did nothing wrong, but I managed to freak out and act like a total bitch to her,” Yoohyeon groaned, putting her head in her hands.

“Let me guess, you panicked when she took you to the pool because Minji was working?” Gahyeon figured.

“How are you always so good at guessing? You’re right, by the way. I don’t even know what came over me. As we got closer and I saw Minji, I just completely lost it. All I wanted to do was get out of there. Yoobin kept trying to apologize and reason with me, so I snapped at her and made her put me down so I could call Siyeon to come get me. I said such mean stuff to her, guys. The worst part is, she didn’t even retaliate. In fact, all she said was that she wasn’t gonna leave me until Siyeon got there. She just stood there and watched me with this hurt in her eyes. It killed me to look at her. I couldn’t even apologize because I felt so guilty,” Yoohyeon continued, her voice cracking with emotion as she relived the argument they’d had.

“Oh, Yoo, I’m sure nothing you said was that bad. Not to mention, Yoobin has a heart of gold based on everything you’ve told us about her. She literally saved you from drowning despite barely knowing you!” Gahyeon pointed out, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“The kiddo is right, I’m sure nothing you said was completely unforgivable. Just apologize and make things right. I saw the way Yoobin looked at you as she was leaving. Whatever you said clearly hurt her feelings, but I can tell she still cares about you,” Siyeon added.

Yoohyeon frowned, “You guys don’t understand. I told her she was just pretending to be heroic. She saved my life from the goodness of her heart and I called it all an act. I don’t deserve to ever see her again. I hope she hates me. Besides, right now she’s probably celebrating the homecoming of her angelic girlfriend who is ten million times better than I’ll ever be,” she grumbled.

Gahyeon and Siyeon exchanged looks.

“Hold up, you sound jealous. I knew you were grateful to her for saving your life and everything, but since when were you interested in her like this?” Siyeon questioned.

“That explains why you let me help you pick a tennis outfit even though you hate shopping!” Gahyeon gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.

Siyeon’s eyes widened, “She’s the reason you almost died twice after we got you out of the pool, isn’t she? Damn, I knew you were the panicked type, but this is next level,” she observed.

Yoohyeon blushed, “Guys, cut it out. I know it’s embarrassing how useless I am when it comes to my crushes. You might as well move on, because that’s what I’m gonna have to do. There’s no way I have any kind of chance with Yoobin. She was probably only being nice to me because she felt sorry for me,” she sighed.

“Yoohyeon, you’re being way too hard on yourself. Maybe you said some shitty things to Yoobin, but don’t sell yourself short. You’re gorgeous and a great person, and one mistake doesn’t change that. Also, most people wouldn’t dive into a pool to save just anyone. Even if Yoobin is an actual saint, I’m sure there was a reason she rescued you that day. She didn’t even have to interact with you again after that, but made it a point to be extra nice to you at that party and take care of you as her tennis partner. Even if she’s an angel walking the earth, I’m sure there’s an ulterior motive there,” Siyeon pointed out.

Gahyeon nodded at her words, agreeing with everything she expressed. After Siyeon finished talking, the youngest of the trio thought for a moment and then put her hands on her hips.

“How do you even know this Handong chick is her girlfriend? Did she flat-out introduce her as such?” she demanded.

Yoohyeon stroked her chin, “Well, Yoobin introduced her as her plus-one at that birthday party at the club. I remember finding their relationship kinda weird since Handong called both of you cute and was pretty eager to have me take her place as Yoobin’s tennis partner,” she mused.

Gahyeon slapped a palm to her forehead. Yoohyeon could have sworn there was a permanent mark there at this point. She supposed it was natural considering how often the youngest girl had this reaction when it came to her two best friends.

“Yoohyeon, you call Si and I your plus ones all the time! Last I checked, none of us are dating and thank god that’s the case, because you both give me headaches on a daily basis. Handong was probably being her wingwoman that night and that’s why she tried to get you to take her place. Think about the time I made Siyeon dress up as my grandma so that I could score a date with Dahyun who volunteers at the senior center!” Gahyeon huffed.

“I kicked ass at bingo,” Siyeon mentioned, grinning at the memory.

Yoohyeon shook her head, “Maybe that’s how things are in our friendship, but there’s no way those two aren’t dating. Handong looks like China’s next top model, and she’s so elegant she makes princesses look like slobs,” she insisted.

“We’ll let the almighty wisdom of Facebook answer that question. Hopefully at least one of their profiles is public,” Gahyeon decided, fishing out her cellphone and entering her passcode.

Siyeon and Yoohyeon leaned over to get a glimpse at the screen as Gahyeon typed in Handong’s name. Only one hit came up for someone living in their area. Yoohyeon recognized the girl in the photo.

“That’s her! See what I mean? She looks like the girls on those lotion commercials,” Yoohyeon commented, prompting Gahyeon to click on her profile.

Gahyeon scanned the information underneath Handong’s profile picture and smiled triumphantly as she read her relationship status.

“It says here that she’s single,” the youngest declared.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Maybe she hasn’t used her Facebook in a while,” Yoohyeon argued.

“Her profile picture is from two days ago. Unless she really hates labels, I think it’s safe to say her and Yoobin are just friends,” Siyeon pointed out.

“So Handong’s single, and I’m an idiot,” Yoohyeon realized.

“Yep, pretty much. Now grab your phone and text Yoobin right this second before I do it for you. The two of you need to talk. At the very least you need to apologize to her for everything you said,” Gahyeon instructed.

Yoohyeon bit her lip. She had been content to hide from Yoobin forever and suffer her guilt as punishment. Still, Gahyeon was right. She owed it to the other girl to apologize. Regardless of whether Yoobin liked her in the way her friends claimed she did, Yoohyeon still wanted things to be okay between them. At the very least she needed to own up to her actions and assure the other girl that nothing she’d said was true.

With shaky fingers, she typed out a text to Yoobin’s phone number.

‘Hi, it’s Yoohyeon. Can we talk? I feel really bad about what happened the other day…’

Yoohyeon clung to her friends for emotional support once it sent. They sat in anxious silence, all of them anticipating what would happen next. The three of them jumped at the immediate ping that followed. Yoobin had replied right away.

‘I’d like that. Hope you’re doing okay. Can you meet me in the club gardens tomorrow at 5?’ her response read.

“The club gardens? People get married there like all the time! What a romantic place to meet!” Gahyeon shrieked, bouncing up and down in excitement.

Yoohyeon let out a deep breath. She was afraid to react one way or the other. Just because Yoobin wanted to meet in a nice place didn’t mean their conversation was going to be all sunshine and rainbows. She hoped things would go well, but she was scared of what was to come. Almost drowning and taking a tennis ball to the face were nothing compared to her anxiety for their conversation tomorrow.


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howdy folks! I finished the rest of this last week actually. I just held off in order to proofread the last two chapters and make sure the final drafts were to my liking. It worked out that I finished this fic just as Piri promos are coming to an end. Our girls did a great job and the Over the Sky stage today was a wonderful bonus. Anyways, until next time! <3

Yoohyeon was a bundle of nerves when her bike rolled to a stop at the club gardens. She thought the colorful foliage would help to calm her down, but it only made her feel worse. She was about to be face-to-face with one of the most beautiful women she’d ever met, both inside and out, in the most scenic location the club had to offer. As Gahyeon had pointed out, people got married in this place. Yoohyeon wondered why Yoobin had insisted they have their conversation here. It hardly seemed like the proper setting for a confrontation.

Yoohyeon locked her bike in the nearest rack and took deep breaths in order to steady herself.   
She felt as wobbly as her front tire had been on the ride here. Her legs trembled as she headed towards her fate, and not just because of her injured ankle. She had made Siyeon and Gahyeon help her practice apologizing so that she would have an idea of what to say when the time came. Still, she suspected that she would clam up and stammer like an idiot when she laid eyes on Yoobin’s gorgeous features.

Yoohyeon was not surprised to see Yoobin had beat her there. The other girl was sitting on a bench near the gazebo where people took wedding and prom pictures. Yoobin was dressed impeccably as always, staring into space with the sun shining upon her. A soft breeze stirred the air and brought the sweet smell of flowers with it. Everything about this felt like some kind of cheesy movie. Yoohyeon was tempted to bolt, but knew she needed to do this. She willed herself to march over to Yoobin’s location with confidence, and even managed to call the other girl’s name as she approached.

“Yoobin, thanks for coming. I hope you weren’t waiting long,” she piped up, giving an awkward smile and wave.

Yoobin, being the saint she is, returned her gesture.

“I only got here a few minutes before you did,” she assured her.

“Ah, good, I’m glad. This heat would be awful to be stuck in for long,” Yoohyeon chuckled, already making nervous chatter.

“You’re right, I didn’t expect the sun to be so harsh today. At least there’s a nice breeze. Wanna get some shade under the gazebo?” Yoobin offered, to which Yoohyeon agreed.

The two girls strolled over to the structure and found a place to lean against its walls. Yoohyeon was unsure of what to do next and twirled her hair self-consciously. Was she supposed to just bite the bullet and start apologizing? Clearly she hadn’t thought this through well enough.

“So, I have some things I want to get off my chest, but I wanted to let you go first. After all, you were the one who reached out to set up this meeting. By the way, thanks for humoring my request to meet here. Anyways, the floor is yours whenever you want it,” Yoobin spoke up, gesturing to Yoohyeon that it was her turn to speak whenever she was ready.

Yoohyeon wanted to kiss the other girl’s feet in that moment. She had almost been at the point of wishing for a swarm of bees to attack her and rescue her from this conversation. Without even trying, Yoobin always managed to save her sorry ass. She hoped everything she said would make it clear just how sorry her ass really was. Yoohyeon clenched her fists and went for it. She looked Yoobin square in the eyes, ready to tell the other girl what she deserved to hear.

“I need you to know how sorry I am for the other day. Everything I said was totally bogus. I was just freaking out for stupid reasons and I took it out on you, which isn’t okay. You have been nothing but nice to me even though I don’t deserve it. I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You aren’t ‘playing hero,’ you are a genuinely amazing person, and I don’t even deserve to breathe the same air as you. I appreciate you agreeing to meet with me today so I could at least apologize for my behavior. I understand if you don’t want to see me ever again after this, but I needed you to know that nothing I said that day reflects how I actually feel about you,” Yoohyeon confessed, finding that the words came easier than she’d expected.

After injuring herself multiple times and nearly going into cardiac arrest from the other girl’s perfection, Yoohyeon was surprised to have held eye contact with her for so long. She would have been proud of herself if it weren’t for the fact that her topic of discussion was what a terrible person she had been. Yoobin listened intently, never breaking eye contact the entire time. Yoohyeon felt like the other girl was staring into her soul, drinking in every word she was saying. When she was finished, she leaned back as an invitation for Yoobin to go next. The shorter girl was smiling, evidently ready to forgive her. Yoohyeon inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

“I appreciate your apology, Yoohyeon. I’ll admit that everything you said hurt my feelings, but I could never hold it against you. In fact, some of what you said is right. I pretend to be brave and selfless, when in reality I have things I hide from like everybody else. I’m far from perfect, and you reminded me of that. In fact, there’s something I’ve been hiding from for many, many years. Today is my chance to face it head on. I was planning on avoiding it, but you inviting me to talk was a sign that it’s time to conquer my fears,” Yoobin explained, clearly prefacing something.

Yoohyeon waited for her to continue. She wasn’t quite sure what the other girl was getting at, but wanted to give her time to explain. She hoped that Yoobin confiding in her meant that everything was okay between them and they could be friends again. She had told herself not to hope for anything more than that lest it lead to disappointment.

Yoobin inhaled sharply, “Okay, here goes nothing,” she began before confessing, “Yoohyeon, we’ve both belonged to this club for many, many years. I know you’ve been coming to the pool every summer since you were a child because every time I saw you, you caught my eye. The first time I remember seeing you was when I was four years old. My mom was trying to teach me to swim, but I was terrified of setting foot in the water. I looked out to see if anyone else was as scared as me, and found you cowering under a beach towel while your parents begged you to even put a toe in the water. I remember thinking that if I could be brave for both of us, then maybe it would all be worth it. Something came over me then. It prompted me to launch myself into the pool with all of my strength. It was the same power that moved me to rescue you when you almost drowned. Throughout the years, you’ve been my inspiration to do good. Watching you gave me the motivation to be better. Even though you didn’t even know who I was, I felt this attachment to you. I know it sounds really weird, and I understand if you want to run for the hills right now, but I just wanted you to know. For so long, I thought about approaching you with all of this, but was too cowardly to do so. I genuinely think I’m in love with you, and always have been. Now that I’ve said it, I think I can finally be at peace with myself,” she finished, closing her eyes and seeming to have a weight lifted off of her shoulders.

Yoohyeon was frozen in place. Her mouth hung wide open and her eyes had bulged to their maximum size. She looked like that famous painting, The Scream, minus the hands on the face. Yoobin noticed her silence and rushed to mediate the situation.

“Please understand that I don’t expect you to reciprocate my feelings or anything. I just needed to come clean about all of this. I know that I just sprung a lot on you, and I kinda picked up on how you feel about that one lifeguard. If you want to be with her, I totally get it. It’s all good,” Yoobin tried to deflect things, although the tremble in her voice made it clear that she was not as relaxed as she was pretending to be.

Yoohyeon’s brain was on maximum overdrive trying to process everything. Yoobin had just put her heart on the line, and every second she wasted trying to function was driving a wedge further between them. She had to say something.

“D-Did you know that platypuses don’t have nipples?” she blurted out.

Yoobin looked at her with complete and utter confusion. Yoohyeon groaned as she registered what had come out of her mouth. Yoobin’s expression immediately blossomed into a smile and that cute giggle of hers returned. Yoohyeon was mortified by her own stupidity, but was glad that she could hear that sound again.

“God, I’m so stupid! I didn’t even know I knew that. I’m sorry, what I meant to say is that I haven’t even seen Minji since the drowning incident. I doubt that she was ever interested in me as anything more than another person to watch on the job. I admit that I had a huge thing for her at first, but there’s someone else who has an even stronger hold on me. In fact, her effect on me is so powerful that I fainted in an ambulance, tripped on air, took a tennis ball to the face, and just now blurted out a dumb fun fact in response to her love confession,” Yoohyeon explained, shooting finger guns at Yoobin since she was unsure of what else to do to look smooth.

Yoobin’s mouth formed a tiny “o” and her eyes widened in surprise. She was clearly taken aback by Yoohyeon’s implications. She blinked, seemingly coming to terms with what Yoohyeon was telling her.  
“Do you really mean that? You really feel that way about me?” she attempted to clarify.

Yoohyeon nodded, “You literally pulled me from a pool and gave me mouth-to-mouth. Who wouldn’t find someone who saved their life super attractive? Besides, it’s not just that. You’re a good person, and you’re certainly not bad to look at either,” she insisted, her cheeks turning red.

Yoobin smiled, “I’m flattered. I just want to make one thing clear. Are you interested in taking this somewhere? I want to make sure we’re on the same wavelength so no one gets hurt,” she stated.

Yoohyeon shrugged, “Well, uh, I mean only if you’re cool with it. I’ve never really been in a relationship before, so I wouldn’t even know where to begin. After everything you’ve done for me though, I would be lucky to have you by my side,” she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

Yoobin beamed at her, grabbing her hands and pulling her close.

“I would love that. I guess I’ll go ahead and make things official. Kim Yoohyeon, can I interest you in a date sometime?” she offered.

“Why not right now? How long are you free for?” Yoohyeon suggested, emboldened by the other girl’s interest in her.

Yoobin chuckled, “Now we’re talking. How about we go grab a bite at the diner around the corner? After that, we can hit up the movie theater right across from it,” she decided, leading the way.

As the two girls walked and talked, the sun seemed to shine even brighter. Everything about the day sparkled with the zest of a new romance. As Yoobin savored the feeling of Yoohyeon’s hand in hers, she couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that her summer dream had finally become a reality.


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last but not least, the grand finale! I threw in some surprise pairings-I kept them untagged because they are VERY minor and I wanted them to be a surprise. Thank you for your comments, kudos, and/or general support on this fic. Much love! <3

A new year, another summer. Yoohyeon was parked in her usual spot at the pool next to Siyeon and Gahyeon, ready for another day in her favorite place. It was amazing how much could change between summers. She was one step closer to graduating, and now she had a girlfriend who had gotten into medical school. Yoobin had been so excited to tell her the news. Yoohyeon couldn’t have been happier for her. She was on her way to following in her family’s footsteps and becoming a world-renowned doctor in the community. Yoohyeon was especially thrilled that Yoobin had chosen a school nearby. She would not have been looking forward to long distance, even though Yoobin was totally worth it.

Speaking of Yoobin, her girlfriend had finally arrived so they could begin their swim lessons. Getting Yoohyeon back to the pool had been like pulling teeth, but Yoobin finally convinced her to show up at the end of last summer. She had dreaded facing Minji, but the older girl was fawning all over her the minute she came through the gate. Yoohyeon had been taken aback by the other girl’s concern, but was relieved that they were on good terms. Minji had seemed a bit bummed out when Yoohyeon had introduced Yoobin as her girlfriend, but aside from that everything was essentially back to normal.

This summer, Yoohyeon had agreed to let her girlfriend teach her to swim. She figured it was about time, and she knew Yoobin wouldn’t laugh at her or make her feel embarrassed for being afraid. Besides, her girlfriend was the star of her swim team, so she knew she was in good hands. Yoobin had shown up in her bathing suit, ready to go. She kicked off her sandals and set down her things beside Yoohyeon’s chair. Yoohyeon took that as her cue to shed her cover up and follow her into the pool. Something about Yoobin made all of her insecurities melt away. Maybe it was the knowledge that Yoobin had seen her as worthy of admiring from afar for all those years. Either way, Yoohyeon had no qualms about stripping down and getting into the water.

“I’m proud of you, you’re really taking this seriously,” Yoobin commented as Yoohyeon slowly lowered herself down the stepladder.

Yoohyeon winced at the temperature of the water. She was nervous, but felt at ease with Yoobin beside her. The smaller girl was already wading towards her, gently urging her to lay on the water’s surface. Before she knew it, Yoohyeon was floating on her back with Yoobin’s hands supporting her head and waist. The taller girl grinned at her accomplishment.

“I’m really doing it! I’m gonna swim like a friggin’ mermaid!” she cheered.

Yoobin giggled, “You will, in time. I’m gonna let you get familiar with what this feels like before we have you take the next step of putting your face underwater. After that, we’ll start discussing how to paddle your legs and what to do with your arms when you start going long distances in the water,” she explained.

Yoohyeon mock saluted, “Aye aye captain!” she answered in an over the top sailor imitation.

The two girls continued their lesson in high spirits. They giggled and chattered in each other’s arms, forgetting everyone around them.  
~  
Minji watched Yoohyeon and her girlfriend with a smile. Sure, it had sucked to learn that the club cutie she’d had her eye on was no longer available. She’d had a whole year to get over it, however, and was doing just fine. School was going well, and she was getting closer to becoming a licensed psychologist and being able to quit her summer job. She planned to savor her last few months here. The club had been good to her, and the pay was decent. Besides, there was another reason being here wasn’t so bad.

Minji’s eyes shifted from the duo in the pool to a woman sitting in a nearby chair. Yoobin’s friend was looking divine as ever, her fantastic legs peeking through the slit in her sarong as she reclined over a magazine. Handong looked up at Minji and wiggled her fingers in greeting. Minji nodded at her and threw in a wink. The two had been hooking up since springtime after they met at a bar. While they weren’t committed to anything yet, they certainly enjoyed each other’s company. Minji grinned as she reflected on her many memorable nights in Handong’s bed. Yoohyeon was cute, but Minji was pretty sure she was over her at this point.  
~  
While Yoohyeon and Yoobin paraded around the pool, Gahyeon and Siyeon smiled at their friend’s happiness as they watched from their usual spot. They were glad to see their best friend had found someone who treated her so well. Not to mention it was high time she learned how to swim.

Gahyeon fanned herself with the magazine she’d brought along.

“It’s so hot! I’m parched. Do you want a drink?” she spoke up, turning to Siyeon.

This year, the club had implemented a new waitress program for the smoothie bar. The cute girl who worked there was now in charge of taking people’s orders and bringing them to their chairs. As a result, every pool goer (especially Siyeon) got to admire her hotness up-close. How ironic it was that the girl in charge of bringing drinks made Siyeon thirstier than a traveler in the Sahara.

“Uh, you know what? I’m good. I’ll go for a swim if I get any hotter,” Siyeon muttered, still lacking the courage to speak to her crush.

A devilish expression formed on Gahyeon’s face. Siyeon was an open book, and the younger girl had easily picked up on her feelings for the smoothie girl. She decided that if Yoohyeon could survive being thrown in a pool, then Siyeon could handle being thrown to the wolves.

“Oh well, suit yourself,” she shrugged before shouting to the waitress, “Excuse me, miss? Can I please get a strawberry smoothie over here?”

The hottie nodded from where she was speaking to another customer, giving Gahyeon a thumbs-up to indicate that she’d heard her. The youngest girl smiled as she watched her head off to make the drink. Moments later, she got up from her chair.

“I seriously need to pee. Do you mind paying for my smoothie when she gets here?” she lied, handing Siyeon some money and racing off before the other girl could protest.

Siyeon sat there in shock, holding onto the money with wide eyes. The girl at the smoothie bar had already finished making Gahyeon’s drink and was heading directly towards her. Siyeon was trapped. She tried to look natural and smile at the other girl, but her expression looked more like a clown on crack than anything else. This didn’t seem to phase the club employee, who approached her anyways. Siyeon read her name tag which identified her as Bora.

“Wasn’t it your friend who ordered this? Where’d she go? Are you picking it up for her?” Bora demanded, one hand on her hip and the other holding Gahyeon’s order.

Siyeon had known she was attractive, but up close she was even more perfect. She felt her mouth go dry as she admired the girl’s amazing figure and sharp features. Even in the ugly t-shirts club employees were forced to wear, she looked like a goddess. Siyeon was helpless under the smaller girl’s intense gaze. Bora’s piercing eyes were locked on hers, clearly questioning how she was going to receive payment for her work.

“She, uh, money give to me. I pay for now,” Siyeon stammered, unable to voice her thoughts coherently.

Siyeon reached out to exchange the money for the cup, but something went wrong. While Bora was retrieving the money, Siyeon hadn’t gripped the smoothie properly and panicked at having Bora’s hand on hers. This caused the drink to go flying, spilling a puddle of pink goo all around them. If that weren’t already bad enough, Siyeon stood up to apologize, but lost her footing and slipped on the smoothie. She knocked into Bora and sent the two of them right into the shallow end of the pool.

Moments later, both girls bobbed up from the water, completely soaked. At least the pool had managed to wash off any smoothie gunk that had gotten on either of them. This was little consolation to Siyeon, whose face was stuck in an expression of horror. She was completely mortified. Bora, who was more shocked than anything else, suddenly burst into laughter. Siyeon frowned and debated dunking herself underwater and never coming back up.

“Damn, if you wanted to get my attention that badly, you could’ve just asked for my number. I’d definitely have given it to someone as cute as you. I’m Bora by the way,” the smaller girl said, climbing out of the pool and offering a hand to Siyeon.

Siyeon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She hesitantly accepted Bora’s hand and let the smaller girl help her out of the water.

“Are we in the same universe right now? Am I being punked?” she asked, glancing around for hidden cameras.

Bora giggled again, “You’re weird, but I like that. I’ve gotta get back to work, but my shift ends in a few hours. Come by and see me after that, okay?” she suggested, winking at Siyeon before strutting off.

Siyeon watched her as she left, unable to tear her eyes from the swing of her hips. Once Bora was out of sight, she shook her head and wandered back to her chair. She had no idea what had just happened. Had she just been flirted with? Siyeon was rooted to her spot for the rest of the day with an expression that looked like she was trying to crack the Da Vinci code in her mind.  
~  
After witnessing Siyeon and Bora’s incident, Yoohyeon turned to Yoobin.

“Was I that embarrassing around you when we first met?” she wondered.

Yoobin smiled, shaking her head.

“No way, you were way cuter. Besides, you’d just had a life threatening experience, so odd behavior was expected. Regardless, even if you’d spilled a smoothie and launched me into the pool, it wouldn’t change how I feel about you,” Yoobin promised.

Yoohyeon smiled, crinkling her nose at the sweetness of her girlfriend’s sentiment. The two leaned in to share a kiss. Yoobin’s lips tasted like chlorine and sunblock, the flavor of summer. Yoohyeon melted into the kiss, reveling in the heat of the day, the refreshing chill of the water, and her feelings for the woman she was kissing. Summer was already her favorite season, but now it was even better.


End file.
